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On oca.org, they made a big deal over a so-called “Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America”. This is nothing but an EP-sponsored talk-shop. It generates tons of wind, issues pretty position papers, and does nothing of practical import, save for publishing a pretty group photo. It does serve one purpose… it’s a venue where the contestants in the EP/MP Great Game can meet and palaver… it’s much like a Cold War Summit in that regard. In short, it’s not important at all… but do note that oca.org made it sound like it was such… in a pathetic attempt to pump up the shaky position of the OCA.
Note how oca.org pumped up an EP-financed-and-run centre at Chambésy–Genève and a so-called “Fourth Pre-Conciliar Pan-Orthodox Conference” (mistranslated into English, since we’re of Russian background, it should be “Fourth Pre-Conciliar all-Orthodox Conference”; we shouldn’t be pandering by using constructions derived from Greek). Firstly, the EP centre at Chambésy is inactive, shuttered for four years, as the Greek government defunded it. That was its major source of funds, so, the centre closed down for all practical purposes (it’s formally-open, but there’s been no conferences since 2010). You can see where oca.org is sucking up to the EP… if they were loyal to the MP, they’d point up the fact that centre was a dead duck and a sham.
Secondly, the so-called Fourth Pre-Conciliar all-Orthodox Conference was phoney baloney. These conferences have been going on since the ‘60s with no practical result whatsoever. There’s going to be NO Eighth Council any time soon… there’s no one to call it! The Roman Emperor called all of the Seven Councils; today, there’s no Christian Emperor to call the council, ergo, there can be no Council. The Ecumenical Patriarch has NEVER had the ability to call Ecumenical Councils; he’s NOT the “Orthodox Pope”. In short, there’s not going to be an Eighth Council any time soon (or any time later), so, one can see that’s nothing but SVS wind and bullshit, 100 percent pure, straight from the Ivory Tower.
Thirdly, there’s going to be NO resolution of the canonical situation in the diaspora. Besides the EP, Antioch, Alexandria, Jerusalem, Cyprus, Greece, Albania, and Romania all share a common position… they don’t accept the legitimacy of the OCA as an autocephalous Local Church, they see the OCA as the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church of North America… they don’t accept it as being the Territorial Church at all (neither does the MP, as it’s never given up its claim to North America as its canonical territory). The OCA is the odd man out, everyone knows it, and do note that the service for this so-called “Assembly” was at the ROCOR cathedral.
Lil’ Mizz Ginny isn’t a good spin doctor. She attempted to spin it… but you can see her laziness. The post sounds like an EP press release; she didn’t even rewrite it to make it look like it came from Syosset. The OCA should fire her… but they won’t, they’re sucking up to the konvertsy for some odd reason (probably, they’re the only group that attends to the noxious treacle that issues from SVS).
Crazy world, ain’t it? It hasn’t gotten any saner in the last 24 (nor is it going to in the next 24). Do note that there wasn’t any mention of the Syrian Golgotha in the post (nor in any other on oca.org). Our brethren are dying, killed by American government-supported militant fighters, but our Church here is silent. That’s EVIL… none dare call it treason and blasphemy (although it’s both, in spades).
Remember Ma’loula… the OCA doesn’t, take heed of that fact (and DO follow the money)…
Barbara-Marie Drezhlo
Tuesday 17 September 2013
Albany NY
Voices from Russia 
Russian Christians Dig Deep to Help Syrians
Tags: Antiochian Orthodox Church, Christian, Christianity, Christians in Middle East, Church of Antioch, Eastern Orthodox Church, Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch, jingoism, Ma'loula, Middle East, Middle Eastern, neo-Puritan, Orthodox, Orthodoxy, Patriarchate of Antioch and all the East, peace in the middle east, political commentary, politics, Religion, Religion and Spirituality, sabre-rattling, self-righteousness, Syrian Civil War, United States, USA, Washington
Refugee kids… oca.org’s silence helps the gunmen, not them… tells you a lot about the USA‘s priorities, doesn’t it? Why didn’t the OCA report on and support the MP aid drive? Does supporting the American Right mean so much to them?
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For the most part, ordinary Russians are opposed to military action in Syria. However, that doesn’t mean that they’re indifferent to the plight of people there, as believers throughout Russia collected money to send to troubled Syria. In the past few months, Russian believers raised 1.3 million USD (42.2 million Roubles. 1.4 million AUD. 1.35 million CAD. 980,000 Euros. 820,000 UK Pounds) for Syrian aid. The money goes directly to the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch and all the East, which uses the funds to purchase necessities such as food, clothes, and bedding. The fund drive started in June, when Patriarch Kirill Gundyaev of Moscow and all the Russias called upon Russian believers to donate what they could. Since then, donors as far removed as Vladivostok and Murmansk gave generously to the Syrian aid campaign.
Vasili Rulinsky from the MP Department of Church Charity and Social Service said, “It all started when a message from Patriarch Kirill was read publicly in all Orthodox parishes in Russia on 25 June 2013. In this message, the Patriarch described the situation in Syria, told the needs of the people there, and called on all to show concern for the suffering of our brothers, to give in order to help our brethren in Syria and to help Syrian refugees in other Middle Eastern countries. There’s a need for humanitarian aid… food, personal care items, in fact, everything is needed on the ground. The Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch in Damascus asked us to send financial aid, as it’s very difficult to send humanitarian aid from Russia to Syria, as there are all sorts of bureaucratic and customs problems. Therefore, we decided to send money”.
Rulinsky noted that the Syrian conflict deeply moved Russians, saying, “People said that they were ready to donate even before the Patriarch’s message. Indeed, the tragedy of the Syrian people touched many people’s hearts. Many people in Russia are concerned about foreign troubles and those affected by them. Therefore, I think that the Patriarch’s message served as a very important catalyst for all those eager to help others, regardless of where they are, even if they were quite far away. I think that many people were ready to help anyway, but the Patriarchal message played a very important role in helping us collect such a significant sum”.
Fr Aleksandr Diaghilev, whose parish is just outside St Petersburg, helped in the fund drive. Fr Aleksandr used the Bible to explain to his parishioners why they should help the victims of the Syrian Civil War. He said, “I told them that St Paul collected money for the Christians in Jerusalem. He collected money in Corinth, although Corinth was in far-off Greece, quite distant from Palestine. I gave people the same reason now… probably, you don’t know these people in Syria, but these are our suffering brothers and sisters”. Fr Aleksandr said that Russia’s experience of war mean that Russians are very familiar with the suffering of those living through conflict, noting, “We passed through great persecutions and World War II not so many years ago, so, many of us remember what that was like, our parents remember how it was. So, we feel that we have to help those who’re suffering nowadays”.
Fr Aleksandr raised funds for other causes abroad before, such as the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in 2011. He said, “At that time, some people came to me and said, ‘We have too many problems in Russia; why should we collect money for Japan, which isn’t a poor country?’ I explained that, maybe, Japan would survive, and that they’d find money to restore everything, but people need help right now. That’s why we need to support them right now. Later, maybe, the government would organise something, and so on. Now, it’s the same situation with Syria, but today the people are ready, so it’s usual for me to suggest they take part in donating [money]”. Fr Aleksandr and Rulinsky said that a further campaign for Syrian aid in Russia in future might be in the cards.
13 September 2013
Alice Lagnado
Voice of Russia World Service
http://voiceofrussia.com/2013_09_13/Russian-Christians-dig-deep-to-help-Syrians-6763/
Editor’s Note:
I looked at oca.org… why didn’t it surprise me to find NO MENTION AT ALL of the Syrian fund drive, indeed, no mention of the Syrian crisis at all (I looked at all news items from 25 June 2013 onward). It’s no secret that certain elements in the OCA (especially, the konvertsy brats) are in cahoots with neocon warmongers, because they’re “Pro-Life”, dontcha know! For instance, Tikhon Mollard invited one US Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ), a Russophobic supporter of Humanitarian Interventionism and American Exceptionalism, to his installation. Mr Smith is an extremist RC who supports the Unia and all its works, a reliable voter for war, and a rapacious minion of the Affluent Effluent… but he’s “Pro-Life” and a “social conservative”. Besides this, which is bad enough in itself, Lyonyo Kishkovsky is a member of the CFR, a well-known Establishment stink-tank that supports aggression throughout the world (ADS was a member, too… a Schmemann grand-daughter works there now).
In short, elements in the OCA are in bed with those who’re the indubitable opponents of our brethren in the Orthosphere. Mostly, they excuse it by saying that these sorts are “Pro-Life”… that has to end. We have a choice to make… shall we stand with our confrères when they’re under American attack, or, do we stand with the ravening attackers of the Orthosphere because they’re “Pro-Life?” Things aren’t so black-and-white, are they? Let’s not forget that the konvertsy are addicted to simplistic formulae; they’re voracious gobblers of uninformed drivel, especially that emanating from the American Hard Right.
I’ve made my decision. Remember Ma’loula (oca.org was silent on this enormity)… the very stones cry out at the perfidy of Mollard, Lyonyo, Potapov, Webster, and Dreher, et al… look at the spilt Christian blood, then, decide.
BMD